


Bless this Mess

by silver_drip



Series: Apples 'Verse [2]
Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Families of Choice, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-04-19 16:43:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14241537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_drip/pseuds/silver_drip
Summary: Being back on Earth doesn't make anything simpler.Discontinued





	1. Home Again

**Author's Note:**

> Edited by EmuSam!

* * *

 

Friday paced back and forth, or at least her hologram did.

After Boss Man had disappeared, she needed some way to show her frustration beyond just rambling to Boss Lady and little bro Viz. Thankfully she had come up with the solution of installing holo-projectors throughout the compound.

It worked out nicely since Vision was remodeling the whole compound, starting with fixing the holes that the witch had crassly made with his body. He said it was therapeutic, along with handing over all the exVengers’ belongings to the UN taskforce nearly a week after they went rogue.

To Friday’s surprise, Vision had taken up interior decorating with gusto. Friday couldn’t say his taste was really… any good, but he enjoyed it and that was all that mattered.

Friday had designed her image in a female form to go with her voice and since Tony always called her ‘my gal Friday’. She gave herself an asymmetric bob where her hair color shifted through the colors of the sunset. Her skin was light pink and her clothes varied from day to day—many of which she designed herself.

Friday had asked Pepper what she thought of her different outfits. The Boss Lady had been elusive with her answer. Today she was wearing a dress and flamboyant hat that the Queen of England would have approved of—if there hadn’t been Iron Man masks smattered on it. Friday thought it looked wonderful, and that’s all that mattered.

Friday kept pacing, half wishing she could wear a hole into the ground. Vision was sitting on a barstool in the kitchen, flipping through a design catalogue. He was completely unaffected by her antsiness.

It had been two weeks, two painful weeks. Friday could barely imagine what big bro Jarvis, Tesla rest his code, went through when boss man was in Afghanistan.

Jim Rhodes had come back to Earth a few days prior, filling her in on what had happened and why aliens (Asgardians) had suddenly abducted them. It was of little comfort though. Tony’s life was in peril and there was nothing she could do to help him.

It didn’t help that the Asgardians were cray-cray—killing and torturing without any regard. It sent shivers down Friday’s holographic back.

Vision flipped another page in the catalogue and Friday glared at his cool demeanor. She didn’t get how he could be so calm. When she asked, he went on about order and chaos and bla bla bla. He sounded like a philosophy professor, and no one liked philosophy professors.

Pepper, Rhodey, and the PR team had put out a press release saying that Tony was on Asgard doing an exchange of technology. The media had eaten it up and SI stock prices had risen. But the UN and US government had been less than happy when Rhodey reported the truth of the matter to them.

Clint Barton’s name was stealthily removed from the world’s most wanted list.

Rhodey was still at the UN building in New York, coordinating with them since he had his legs back and could fly again.

The media attributed his ability to walk again to Asgardian medical technology. No one seemed to notice that some of the lines of his face were gone and his hair was growing in thicker and darker. 

Friday perked up when an alert went off, telling her the front gate to the compound had been opened. She linked in to the camera feed and let out a happy squeal.

“Boss Man is home!” Friday shouted through all her speakers, causing Vision to flinch. Her hologram fragmented, and she reappeared in the garage. Vision ghosted through the walls, standing beside her.

Friday watched as the car pulled up. It had an Uber sticker on it. Tony got out and had on a wonky outfit that even Friday wouldn’t wear. The armor looked like it had been melted. He was also carrying a kickass sword.

“Fri, pay the good man. I have no cash or cards on me,” Tony said while propping his sunglasses on his head. She auto-linked with the sunglasses and paused for a nano-second as tons of data began downloading onto his private server.

“Right away, Boss.” Friday hacked into the driver’s phone, seeing the distance they’d traveled. She paid him and gave him a hefty tip. Tony paused when he caught sight of her. “Surprise,” she said while doing jazz hands.

His face split into a giant grin.

“My gal Friday, you’ve been busy while I was gone,” he pretended to scold her, but was clearly chuffed. He waved at Vision who nodded in return.

“Little bro Viz did all the work. I just ordered the parts and designed the code.” She loved when Tony praised her.

“I love the hair. It’s very groovy.” Her hair shifted to dark purple, contrasting with her bright blush. “My beautiful daughter, all grown up.” He pretended to wipe away a tear.

“Well look at you! I picked up all the years you dropped!” Friday wanted to pinch Tony’s cheeks the way grandmas did to babies.

Tony ran his hand through his hair them scratched the back of his neck.

“Uck, I know. I look like a healthy version of my twenty-five-year-old self. The papz are going to have a field day.” Tony grimaced. “I need to change out of this armor. I miss my blue jeans and t-shirts.”

“Should I ring boss lady and Jim Jam?” Rhodey hated that nickname, but Friday delighted in using it.

“I talked to them in the car. My dear platypus cried in relief when he heard my voice.” Tony walked over to Vision and put his hand on his shoulder. “How are you holding up, Bun-Bun?” Vision had been oddly elusive on the story behind that nickname.

“Better, Mr. Stark. I’ve found a new fascination with interior design and architecture. I hope you’ll like what I’ve done with the compound.” It was hard to hear, but there was a tinge of self-consciousness in his voice.

Tony pulled him into a hug. “I’m sure I’ll love it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” he said as he straightened out his sweater. Vision drifted away and through the wall without saying goodbye.

“Give me a rundown on what I missed these two weeks.” Tony walked with a purpose, swiveling his head around as he took in the new décor. He had a bemused look on his face that Friday counted as a win.

“Your Accords amendment on the second clean-up clause went through. It was only opposed by his Excellency Dresher.”

“As usual,” Tony added. Friday nodded.

“The UK has started to put together their own team. They’re set to sign the Accords any day now. It would look good if you were there to welcome them.”

“Get me info on them.”

“I already compiled their credentials, Boss Man.”

“Good.” She internally fist pumped in victory. Tony paused in front of a painting that was… eccentric, to say the least. Tony rubbed his chin and let out a thoughtful hum. “There’s no accounting for taste,” he mumbled and kept walking.

“Stark Phone V was released on schedule and the sales projections were mostly accurate. People are loving the twitch Iron Man game that comes auto-installed. SI decided to send the game to market in a week.”

“What did marketing decide for the price?” He paused in front of another painting and straightened it out.

“99 cents.” Friday cleared her throat. “There was a spotting of the exVengers in Canada,” Tony froze, “but there have been no confirmed sightings.”

Tony tapped his fingers over the spot his arc reactor used to be. “They’re already two less of them. Maybe three if Rogers decides to stay on Asgard, but I doubt he’d leave his bf alone here.”

Once in the bedroom Tony tossed the sheathed sword on his unmade bed and began stripping out of the warped armor. It was a tight fit. He tossed them on the ground, making a loud clanking noise.

“Boss man’s got some abs,” Friday teased and pretended to poke them. Tony swatted her hand away.

“Hey now, I still have my signature tummy pooch and bubble butt. I’m just a bit—a lot stronger now.” Tony plopped down on his bed and groaned. “Call Doctor Cho out here. I need to run some blood tests.”

“Will do.” Tony rolled himself up in a blanket cocoon. “Anything else?” Tony peeked up at her as she dimmed the lights.

“Yeah, ordered me an American cheeseburger and onion rings.”

Friday giggled and disappeared.

*

A purple tinted fog rolled in from the ocean, but none of the partying teens noticed it, too interested in drinking and dancing. Kamala Khan didn’t drink though, but didn’t notice because she was too busy texting her best friend Bruno, asking when he was going to arrive.

Then the screaming began.

Kamala had nearly dropped her flip phone when the first screech rang out. She thought it was just her graduating class being rowdy, but then more screams joined in. She pocketed her phone and stood on the wooden fence that bordered the beach to get a better look.

People were turning into stone right before her eyes.

Amy from Calc, John from PE, Maggie from art class—It started at their feet and creeped up their bodies like they met eyes with Medusa.

Kamala fell off the fence and on to her rear. She scrambled backwards, kicking up sand. But she was too late. Her throat began to burn and her eyes watered. Her feet went numb. She pulled up her pantleg and let out a startled cry. She was turning into stone!

She couldn’t breathe. She tried to reach for her phone to beg her parents’ forgiveness for sneaking out, but her fingers wouldn’t do as she told them. The last thing she saw was her classmates crumbling into dust.

Kamala thought that the Avengers breaking up was the worst thing in the world that could happen. She had been so wrong.

*

Jim Rhodes was in heaven. He had come from a meeting with the US’ UN representative in New York earlier in the day for his reinstatement as an official Avenger. He’d shared a pizza with Pepper as they celebrated Tony’s safe return, though it wasn’t as rambunctious as normal since Tony was on the other side of the country. And best of all he’d made himself a wonderful bubble bath.

He definitely deserved it after putting up with Asgard’s BS and waiting around like a soldier’s wife for Tony to come home.

Jim debated adding another one of the bath-bombs that were stocked in all the guest bathrooms in Stark Tower. He was already going to be sparkling from the first one. Another one wouldn’t hurt. He dropped it in and listened to it fizzle.

Jim took a sip of beer and sighed happily.

Yup, this was the life.

But then he heard Friday clear her throat over his chill music.

“Jim Jam,” she said, causing him to groan. He knew she had no cameras in the bathroom, so he settled to glare at one of her speakers.  

“What is it?” he asked while setting down his beer.

“You’ve been called to action. There’s been a possible terrorist attack in New Jersey. Some sort of gas was used,” Friday reported and started going into the details.

Jim forced himself to get out of the tub. He didn’t have enough time to wash off the sparkles. He took them off as much as he could while drying off.

He pulled on his undersuit, cringing at how he’d probably have to hand wash it if he wanted not to be covered in sparkles after every time he wore it.

It wasn’t long before he was flying over Manhattan in War Machine. It felt so good to be in them and despite the fucked up circumstances with how he got his legs back, he was grateful. He couldn’t wait to show his mama that he had his legs back, but business came first.

Friday streamed newsfeeds of the incident. The attack had happened just after midnight. They were lucky on that front, both because that meant fewer people were out and because most people were asleep so they couldn’t panic.

They were theorizing it was some sort of gas attack, but it had dissipated before samples could be taken. Hazmat suits were mandatory on the scene. The War Machine had its own supply of air, but it would only last him an hour.

He was only being called in to scan the waters for possible terrorist activities.

An Avengers mission wouldn’t usually be approved so fast, but since it was on American soil they only needed the US military’s approval. They had given him, and him alone, a lot of leeway since he had the longest history of being a responsible super-hero. Though that bar was pretty low for the most part.

Jim was talking with his contact in the FBI’s domestic terrorism branch when he made it to the scene.

It looked like a tableau of Pompeii, human forms caught in motion and hardened into rock—Except hyper music was playing and Jim could almost smell the cheap beer.

Friday started a little ticker at the top right of his HUD, counting the bodies. From what Jim could make out of them they looked like high schoolers and college students.

Jim kept an open line with his liaison. The air was deemed safe to breathe and not long after a well-known smuggler was picked up by the coast guard. Jim’s official job was done with hardly any input from him.

The tally on his HUD was depressing, especially as the wind picked up and the statues that were once people crumbled.

He was about to turn back home when the chatter on his feed picked up.

“We’ve got a live one here!” someone shouted.

Jim circled above the frenzy of sudden activity. People in hazmat suits were brushing aside the cocoon like rock. The blond woman shoved away the people trying to help her up before she stared at her hands in surprise. She stumbled backwards, and Jim caught his breath when she was suddenly a he—Tony Stark. He fell back to the ground, curling up into the fetal position. He changed back into a she, this time into a young, dark-skinned woman.

*

Sam was freezing his ass off. After the oppressive heat in Wakanda, the Canadian wilds felt twice as cold—Even in July.

He tucked his hands into the odd smelling coat that he had picked up at Goodwill. He was lucky that Steve had grabbed his wallet when he was breaking them out of the Raft. He was unlucky that he only had enough money to buy two coats. Sam had selflessly given Scott the better coat since he was a California boy.

He sorely missed his snow gear that was packed away in Avengers Compound after he moved out of his DC apartment.

The little amount of money Scott had was used to cover the different dingy hotels they used.

Sam yawned, his breath appearing in the cold air. He still wasn’t used to the time difference even though they’d left Wakanda nearly three days ago. It didn’t help that it was only safe to come out at night.

Yesterday they had seen a photo on the crappy hotel TV of Tony Stark. It unnerved Sam, not because Stark looked so young, but because Steve and Wanda weren’t back yet. And from what little Sam had gathered from the Dora Milaje that flew them to Canada, the trials should be over by now.

“My contact should be here soon,” Scott said while checking the phone the Wakandans had given them so that Steve could get in touch with them when he got back with Wanda.

Sam rolled his eyes at Scott’s theatrics. He refused to name his ‘contact’. This wasn’t some spy movie. It was real life and if Scott got arrested Sam would be up the creek without a paddle.

A black Hummer broke through the tree line. Sam’s hand hovered over the button that spread his wings. The vest barely fit over his winter coat, but still gave him enough support.

“Relax.” Scott waved at him while grinning. He was just a little too carefree for Sam’s taste.

Sam couldn’t see through the Hummer’s tinted windows, making him feel twitchy. A man just on the cusp of being elderly stepped out of the Hummer while trying to put on an overstuffed jacket.

Scott’s face lit up with a smile. “Dr. Pym! Thanks for coming to get us!”


	2. Chapter 2

“You look fine,” Loki reassured his son. The cave fleas that had infested Fenrir’s fur had been relentless, so Loki ended up having to shave Fenrir down.

Fenrir grumbled in disagreement, hiding his eyes beneath his paws. He was half submerged in the healing waters of the hot spring. There were many in Vanaheim, but Loki had chosen one that few ever ventured to. Fenrir was healing up nicely, but there would be scars and from what little hair had started growing, the areas that would scar would have white fur instead of the ash grey that covered the rest of him.

Loki was sitting half out of the water, always on alert.

Fenrir asked for more meat bits. Loki had been feeding him slowly since their departure from Asgard, not wanting to overwhelm his underused stomach. He fed him strips of raw venison. It had been refreshing to hunt for food instead of sport as he was forced to do all too often when he lived on Asgard.

He tried not to think of that cursed place. Loki occasionally felt Heimdall and Odin searching for him with their magic, but he had perfected his concealment spell long ago. He had placed it on himself and Fenrir, and warded the area so that those who came close decided to go elsewhere.

He used a spell on the roots of a tree that fed from the spring to ask them to form a shelter for him and they did. Now that Fenrir was no longer flea-infested they could cuddle together as they once did, when they were still a family.

Fenrir licked the blood off Loki’s hand while he was lost in thought. He sent Fenrir a knowing look and Fenrir pretended to be bashful. Loki scoffed, but on the inside, he was melting.

His son was out of the cave. Rays of sunshine warmed him where there had once only been darkness. A light breeze caressed Fenrir when only a few days ago he was surrounded by heavy, dingy air.

But Loki had found out on their first night of freedom that Fenrir was terrified of the dark—a fear that he didn’t have before his time in the cave.

Fenrir walked to a deeper part of the hot spring and despite knowing he could swim, Loki felt his chest tighten. Loki held his breath as Fenrir dove under and only let out the air when Fenrir popped back up. He swam back and forth, enjoying his freedom.

When he was well enough, they would hunt together, as Loki had promised him all those years ago.

Fenrir whipped his bald tail, splashing Loki. He let out a scolding hum that Fenrir ignored. His playful demeanor contrasted with his large size. His horse-like size that the Aesir had used as an excuse to chain him. He was so young, but Jörmungandr was younger still, a toddler and alone.

As much as Loki wanted to, he could not linger in Vanaheim.  His, youngest, who had only been able to say a few words before he was stolen, was somewhere on Midgard all alone. Loki had to get him back.

*

Thor was petrified.

His father’s indifference, his mother’s look of hatred, Jane leaving him, and Loki abandoning him.

On some level, Thor could understand Odin’s indifference. A sort of… distance was needed to rule and enact punishments, especially against a loved one. Thor had not picked up that skill yet, though. Perhaps he had spent too much time among the people, frequenting the taverns and brothels with the Warriors Three. Maybe his new feeling of being disconnected with everyone was the first step to becoming a strong king.

But was Odin a strong king? Without a doubt, no one questioned his rule. The realm of Asgard was also relatively peaceful. There were no rebellions or power struggles. The  _ Overvåkere _ enacted Asgard’s unofficial laws on the peasants, enforcing the morals that kept Asgard sane.

The look of hatred his mother had leveled on him when her back was being put together hollowed out his soul and filled it with guilt. He should have done something the moment he saw her strung up like a freshly slaughtered boar. Giving Idunn’s apples away without Odin’s blessing had been treason, but was it really? She was queen and through her weaving could see the future. Perhaps she had saw something, but as with all her prophesies, she could not speak the truth of it—But then why the hatred? Had Thor failed her by not stepping forward?

Jane, Thor understood why she left him. He tried not to ruminate on it. He doubted himself and could not fault her for doing the same and finding him lacking.

Loki’s absence hit him the hardest despite it only being a few days since he left. They had often spent time apart, but this was different — he may never see Loki again. And Thor was so angry at him. Angry for leaving him, angry for not saying goodbye, angry for just not being there while Thor was at his lowest point.

And with all his pains he could go to no one. The Warriors Three felt like strangers. They acted as if nothing had changed despite Thor’s family disintegrating.

Thor needed something, but he didn’t know what. He had spent time on Midgard before the dark elves attacked. It had been such a change of pace and opened his eyes. Maybe a pilgrimage would provide him with clarity. He could go to the source of fate, the Norns.

He would leave for Nornheim in the morning, and hopefully there he’d gain perspective and answers.

*

Moisture clung to his eyelashes, but not from tears or sweat. Melted ice crystals.

Light danced behind his eyelids, causing him to scrunch up his nose. Distant voices, one familiar while the others were foreign.

“Bucky,” the familiar voice said. Bucky squinted against the light as he opened his eyes.

Steve looked… different. And that fact made Bucky dread to think about how much more time he missed.

He had gained a bit of heft in the middle, actually looking healthier for it—No longer just a skeleton with muscles layered on top. He looked tired, but the biggest change of all was the subtle pockmarks on his face and a red tinge—Healed  _ burn _ marks.

“Stevie, what happened?” Bucky asked, his words coming out as a grunt. Steve somehow still understood him.

“We have to go. T’Challa is kicking us out,” Steve explained while helping Bucky out of the cryotube.

“No, he is evicting those he has no obligation to,” a woman said. It took a moment for Bucky to place her. She was Princess Shuri. He had met her only once, right before he was frozen. She had asked him questions, but his head was too muddled from just waking up to remember them. Shuri shouldered past Steve. “Sargant Barnes, we do not recommend you leave. It has been barely three months and we have not found a cure for your triggers yet.”

Bucky looked at Steve in question.

“I’ll keep you safe, Buck. Things are getting dicey and I need you by my side.” Steve clasped Bucky’s shoulder with his hand. His heat radiated warmth, chasing away the chill Bucky hadn’t even realized was there.

“You look different,” he said, stalling for time.

Steve pulled back and rubbed his stubble free jaw. Now that Bucky was looking he saw that his eyebrows and eyelashes were gone, but growing back. “Tony and I fought,” Steve stated, and Bucky’s features went hard. He had thought the other man would have calmed down by now, but evidentially he was wrong. “It’s not what you think. We were forced to fight—Though Tony could have begged off and it wouldn’t have come to blows. I won.” Steve stared at his feet. “It’s unfortunate, but he was executed for losing. Maybe things are better for him now though. He took a lot of wrong turns, but I think deep down he really cared.”

Bucky began processing that information, but was quickly interrupted by Princess Shuri. “You are ill informed. Mr. Stark was seen back in the US three days ago and since then put out a press release reaffirming that he was alive and well after his trip to Asgard.” She pulled out her phone and after a couple taps a hologram of Tony’s smiling face appeared.

Bucky thought it was an old picture at first, but the caption went on about how the magics of Asgard had brought back his youthful appearance.

“Oh, well, that’s something I guess.” Steve’s face flitted with different emotions before settling on looking perturbed. It was the same expression he got when he made a mistake in pen on a crossword puzzle. He nodded resolutely before looking at Bucky with big, blue eyes. “If he’s alive, then he knows where you are. You’re not safe. We have to get out of here.”

Bucky’s chest tightened. He’d just wanted some damn plums, but then the peaceful life he’d carved out was shattered. He’d give anything for a fresh start, but the world didn’t work that way. They wouldn’t forget his sins and deluding himself otherwise would just set him up for failure.

Bucky took in a slow breath, fortifying himself. “What is the plan?”

*

“Where did we go wrong?” the Pakistani-American woman sobbed while leaning into her husband’s embrace after hearing the news about her daughter, Kamala Khan.

Mr. and Mrs. Khan were the typical immigrant family. They worked hard to carve out a good life in the land of opportunity while still keeping their traditions—And Jim really wished he wasn’t sitting in front of them in his undersuit while sparkling.

Their son, Aamir, was seated to the side, praying on and off. “Abu, Ammi,” he addressed his parents, “we must be thankful that Kamala lived when so many others were not as lucky.”

“She shouldn’t have been out there in the first place,” Mrs. Khan said between her sobs. “She was such a good girl. Why would she sneak out? It’s not like her.” She turned to another person in the room, Bruno, Kamala’s best friend. He had been the one to inform them that Kamala was at the sight of the attack when he saw the police tape surrounding the beach. “Why did she do that?”

Bruno shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “She’s a teenager.”

“You know what they’re going to say,” Mr. Khan said, speaking for the first time since Jim had delivered the news. “They’re going to blame her because she’s Muslim. They’re going to say she was behind the attack. She isn’t safe.”

Jim didn’t mention that the news crews had recorded her changing shape. Violence against non-baseline people had been going up as of late. The fact that she didn’t have control of her powers would just worsen the situation.

Jim had already consulted with Tony, they had a solution, but it would be uncomfortable for the Khan family. Technically he didn’t need to ask their permission. Kamala was eighteen and had already agreed, but she valued their opinion and wanted to know what they thought.

“We think the best thing to do right now is to take Ms. Khan to Avengers Compound in California, at least until things calm down here and she gets a better grip on her powers. We talked to her and she thinks it’s a good idea.”

Mr. and Mrs. Khan looked at each other, having a silent conversation. She nodded and a moment later he answered. “Please keep her safe for us.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No IW spoilers here. 
> 
> Sorry for the slow update. I was on a cruise~

* * *

Scott Lang let out a mournful noise. Hank had demoted him to being a sidekick. He was only allowed to use the Ant-Man suit when Hank (who was nearly old as sin) donned his Giant-Man suit. Scott had never been so embarrassed in his life.

Hank had delivered the news while Scott was unable to talk back, when he was shrunk down so it would be easier for them to sneak over the border to Alaska. All Scott ever wanted was to be a hero, not to be a stinking  _ sidekick _ . Hadn’t he proved himself already with Yellow Jacket and against Iron Man and his lackies?

Scott had battles under his belt—He supposed that he hadn’t saved the world yet, but come on! World ending events didn’t happen every day! Scott was doing his best!

And what would Cassie think? He was supposed to be her hero, but the biased news had lambasted them. It had quieted down since it had almost been three months, but kids were cruel and if even one of them heard about his situation they would pick on Cassie for it.

Scott pouted, but hid it from Sam, who poked fun at him ceaselessly. Scott was tempted to point out that Sam was practically Steve’s sidekick, but on occasion he could be mature.

Besides, Hank had dished out worse news than Scott being demoted. His girlfriend, Hope, thought the Sokovian Accords were a good thing! Hank couldn’t tell her about helping them since she would report him if he did.

Scott felt so betrayed. He thought they had compatible beliefs, but maybe he was wrong. He wanted to call her and explain things to her, but that would give Hank away—And, according to him, she was furious at Scott for taking the Ant-Suit and leaving without explanation.

Scott wished he still smoked. It would be a stress reliever and give him something to do while he waited. But he had picked up the habit in prison and forced himself to drop it when he got out.

It wasn’t all bad news though; Captain America had gotten in contact with them and was about to join them in Alaska.

Scott had lived with Captain America for two months, but was still star struck. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Wanda again though. She was… unsettling. He hoped he brought Clint back so the whole team would be together again.

Scott twiddled his thumbs, sitting in Hank’s Hummer. He grinned when he saw the Wakandan jet appear out of nowhere. It landed in the clearing and Scott jumped out of the car, no longer able to hold his energy or enthusiasm back. He hopped from one foot to the other as the hatch lowered. He paused when only Captain America and Bucky came out, but quickly recovered. Clint was probably back with his family and Wanda could take care of herself probably better than anyone else could.

Hank and Sam joined them.

Steve started giving out orders and Scott nodded along happily.

Hank cleared his throat, cocking one of his eyebrows. “What makes you think you’re in charge?”

*

Where Jane went, weird followed. That’s why Darcy was extra excited to go to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. NASA had been delighted that Jane was willing to share the readings she had taken of the Bifrost and the pictures Darcy had captured of the stars she could see on Asgard. Tony was also going to send his own readings to NASA, with the stipulation that Jane be in charge of the analysis.

Darcy and Jane were getting the celebrity treatment. They’d received first class tickets to Houston, awesome hotel rooms, and, best of all, Carol Danvers was going to be their tour guide!  

Carol Danvers was the feminist icon of the century. Her story was on Wikipedia. She had wanted to get a college education, but her father refused to pay for it, instead giving the money to her younger brother who had worse grades than her. Carol then joined the Air Force to become a pilot and get a degree through the military.

Years before Tony Stark was taken prisoner in Afghanistan she had been captured and tortured there before breaking out. She had been one of the few, including James Rhodes, who had demanded the search continue when Tony Stark went missing.

Her career in the Air Force came to an end when she was dishonorably discharged for hitting a superior officer. When it came out that she had reported the officer for having child porn, but the situation had been ignored until she had cornered him trying to kidnap a little boy. The media had eaten up the story and she had been paid out a settlement that she immediately donated to charities that supported victims of sexual abuse.

She had been one of the biggest advocates of the Women’s March on Washington, rallying people of all ages and genders.

Coolest of all, she was one of NASA’s top astronauts. During one of her launches her shuttle veered off course due to a mechanical error. She and her crew had been out of contact and out of view for nearly a month before she brought the shuttle back to Earth.

NASA also sold merchandise with her face and name on it to raise money.

And Darcy and Jane were going to hang out with her all day!

As they entered the Space Center they were given VIP badges that she took a picture of and posted it to Instagram.

Before they could sit down in the lobby, Carol Danvers showed up, wearing a NASA jumpsuit.

Darcy was totally star-struck.

Carol, as she insisted they call her, flawlessly told the history of NASA while escorting them through the building. Darcy was snapping pictures on her phone and posting them. Carol and Jane started talking science and Darcy zoned out, checking her emails as they walked. Her bank had sent her a new message, still in disbelief that she was sudden flush with money. There was another message from the publishing house that was going to print a book of the pictures she took on Asgard. Tony had respectively asked her and Jane not to talk about what happened on Asgard or the trials. They had agreed since they knew how much of a shitstorm it could cause everyone.

Darcy was particularly impressed by Mission Control, despite a ton of buttons being missing from sticky handed tourists.

When they finally got down to business Darcy enjoyed the litany of scientific jargon, even if some of it flew over her head. She also enjoyed watching the NASA scientists nerd out at her photography. She had taken special care with the photos of space, knowing how important it would be to them.

She munched on a bag of pretzels they had provided her as she flitted around the room.

“Jenson, what are you doing here? I thought you were let go?” one of the scientists asked a frantic looking man.

“This was supposed to be my assignment!” Jenson shouted. “Not some nobodies!” Darcy gasped as he pulled out a gun and aimed it at Jane.

_ Pop! Pop! Pop! _

Darcy screamed, forcing her eyes closed.

Then everything was silent.

Darcy peeked over the desk she had taken cover under. Carol and Jenson were the only ones still standing in the room. There were three bullet holes in Carol’s jumpsuit, but no blood. She was holding up Jenson by the collar of his shirt and his gun was in her hand, smashed.

Yup, Darcy’s long held belief was once again proven right. Where Jane went, weird followed.

*

Tony looked on as a proud parent as his gal Friday sorted the information his sunglasses had picked up on Asgard. She was being theatric. (He had no idea where she got that from.) Instead of just sorting it she had her hologram out and was swiping data back and forth, organizing it and taking out redundancies.

Today she was wearing, as much as a hologram could wear something, a pair of overalls, a lime patterned shirt, and gladiator sandals. Coupled with her ever-changing hair color, she was a marvel. He was so proud of his girl and her innovative spirit.

Tony grinned, feeling relaxed in his lab with her. Soon Dum-E and the other ‘bots would be arriving from New York along with Rhodey and the kid he picked up in Jersey. And having all them would hopefully make the compound feel a little less hollow.

Helen Cho was set to arrive in an hour to look to see the biological changes he had gone through. Tony was hoping to puzzle out the strange energy he detected inside, one that was similar to the energy Loki used when he was casting a spell.

Tony frowned, wondering when he’d see Loki again. They hadn’t made any real plans, and Tony knew Loki had bigger things to deal with.

But Tony missed him.

He missed him a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **My first IW[story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14572233)! Please check it out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to EmuSam for betaing!

* * *

 

Helen Cho never thought she’d step foot inside Avengers Compound, not after that  _ witch _ somehow made it onto the Avengers’ roster. Helen didn’t care what nonsense Captain Rogers had said. She had seen who the witch was and Helen wouldn’t stick around to see the consequences of her joining the team.

And Helen would never allow her son anywhere near the compound if Tony hadn’t told her Wanda Maximoff was dead.

As it was, her nineteen-year-old son Amadeus, had been fired from his last TA position for correcting the professor,  _ again _ . Amadeus was happily following her around, excited to see what sort of place Tony Stark lived in.

Helen rang the doorbell to the compound. The two doors opened with a mechanical hiss, revealing a glowing, pink woman.

“Doctor Cho, welcome back, and this must be your son, Amadeus.” She turned her gaze on him. “Geniuses are always welcomed on Stark property.”

Amadeus stuttered out a hello. Helen smiled at her son’s lack of grace when it came to beautiful women.

“Is that you, Friday?” Helen asked, recognizing her voice.

“Friday Stark at your service! It’s good to meet you face to face.” Friday winked charmingly at her. “I’d offer to take your bag, but I’m just a hologram! Boss is downstairs in his lab, if you would follow me.”

Helen glanced around as she walked. It certainly didn’t look like the compound she knew, nor did it have a sense of foreboding that it used to have. The paintings that ranged from hotel like to worthy of being in museums were a bit distracting though.

“Cho, the younger, please refrain from staring at my rear,” Friday said, her hologram not turning to face him.

Helen glanced at Amadeus. He was blushing. Helen punched him on the shoulder softly.

Now that Helen wasn’t worried about seeing the witch, she was excited. She had collaborated with Tony to make a stable form of Extremis that would work on the specific damage that he had without putting him at risk to explode. It had been fascinating work and gave her ideas on how to improve her Cradle technology.

The doors to the lab opened for them. Helen spotted Tony right away. He looked good, better than good—almost unrecognizable. Helen had been worried about him when he started his beach vacation since he made it very clear that he was having orgies when she called him for their monthly check-in. She had insisted he use protection and he assured her he always did. Helen had also been worried how a STD could interact with Extremis, but they thankfully hadn’t had to find that out.

Her worry had only increased when he disappeared off the face of the planet. She felt silly for it now though. Tony Stark had been abducted once before and came out of it with a shining star in his chest. This time he came out of it with immortality.

“Helen,” he greeted while standing up. He was wearing a brown silk robe with a gold design on it along with floppy pajamas. Tony kissed her cheek before glancing at Amadeus. “You’re too young to have a grown son.” Tony gave her a mischievous look. Helen rolled her eyes. Tony turned to Amadeus. “I heard you graduated the year before I gave out research funding at MIT. Working on anything nowadays that could use a bit of cash backing?”

Amadeus was clearly startled that Tony knew who he was. “Oh,” Amadeus cleared his throat, “no thank you, Dr. Stark. Berkeley has been more than generous.” Amadeus hesitated, and Helen stepped in.

“He’s been doing research on Gamma Radiation,” Helen said.

Tony cocked an eyebrow. “That can be dangerous.” Tony gave Amadeus a contemplative look. “But you’re a smart kid. You’re not going to repeat history, are you?” Tony’s gaze was heavy, but Amadeus didn’t falter.

“I won’t make the same mistake Dr. Banner did,” he assured Tony.

Tony clasped his hand on Amadeus’ shoulder, giving it a companionable squeeze. “Good man. Let me know if you need another pair of eyes or some extra funding.” Tony turned away from him. “Friday, get him my number.”

“Just sent, boss.”

Amadeus’ text message alert, the sound of a car revving, went off. He pulled out his phone. It’s custom purple and green case had the words ‘It’s Cho Time’ on the back.

“Thank you, Dr. Stark. I’ll keep you in mind.”

“Ammy, why don’t you head to the living room so I can give Tony his physical?” Helen asked while setting down her doctor’s bag.

“I’ll show you the way,” Friday offered. Helen watched them go. She smiled when Amadeus tentatively tried to start a conversation with Friday.

“I died,” Tony said without preemption. Helen froze. “The trials I mentioned to you, I lost two out of three times and they cut off my head because of it. I was pretty out of it, so I didn’t get the details.” Tony rubbed his neck and Helen’s eyes widened as she saw the thin scar that wrapped around his neck.

Helen stepped forward and tilted Tony’s chin up so that she could better examine it. The scar was faintly pink and raised, but otherwise it looked old. “Define out of it,” she said as her mind raced.

“I felt high. My body was completely relaxed, like it had never seen a hard day before.” Tony grinned. Helen was worried. Nothing like that had been anticipated when they undertook the Extremis project. “It’s a shame that Loki had been carrying my data gathering sunglasses at the time. The readings I was putting off would have been interesting.”

“Loki?” Wasn’t he the one behind the Battle of Manhattan?

“I know. I was dubious at first, but he’s the only sane one in Asgard, which is really saying something.”

Helen didn’t question him further on that. Her mind was nearly overwhelmed with possibilities.

“Let’s start out with a basic physical and move on from there,” Helen said. Tony nodded in agreement.

*

Bucky closed his eyes tightly, trying to drown out all the shouting. Steve and Hank were going at it again. It was the same argument as last time, and the time before, and the time before that.

Hank thought he should be in charge because he was supplying them with everything, risking his neck, and because he had several years of being a superhero under his belt.

Steve wanted to be the leader because the Avengers were ‘his’, he’d been leading them from the start, and Hank was not fit to be on the field because of his age.

The last reason left a bitter taste in Bucky’s mouth. It was an argument he had used against Steve back in the 40s. Steve had been sickly and unfit to be a soldier, but that hadn’t stopped him from trying to enlist every time Bucky wasn’t watching him. Bucky wanted to point out the irony, but his words always felt muddled.

It was frustrating. His thoughts were clear, with the past only occasionally poisoning them, but he was completely unable to express himself.

“Keep acting like that and I won’t build your friend a new arm!” Hank shouted, and Bucky sighed. He didn’t even know if he wanted a new arm. He was dangerous enough without it, especially since his triggers hadn’t been removed.

“How dare you! You’re just another pigheaded billionaire! Having money doesn’t make you superior!” Steve shouted right back, his voice cutting through the luxurious cabin they were staying in.

“You’d be out on your ass if not for me, you ungrateful piece of patriotic shit!” There was a crashing noise and Bucky cringed.

Scott entered the TV room Bucky was sitting in. He looked just as happy as Bucky did. Scott forced a smile, but Bucky was too tired to return the sentiment.

Bucky’s thought drifted back to Princess Shuri. She was a bit of an enigma. Before he went under she had asked him all sorts of questions before informing him of just what sort of damage he had done while trying to escape the authorities: four dead men on the task force and seven dead civilians. It weighed on Bucky more than any of his Winter Soldier assassinations. He could rationalize those, but he couldn’t rationalize the deaths he caused while not being the Winter Soldier. He had tried to talk to Steve about it, but he had brushed aside the situation entirely, claiming it was all self-defense.

But how could killing civilians be self-defense?

What confused Bucky about Shuri though was that before he left with Steve she had given him the number of one of the head doctors in charge of his case, assuring him that if he felt the need to be put back in cryo, that he would find a safe place in Wakanda.

Bucky didn’t know whether to believe that or not. Steve had been insistent that Stark was out to get them, but the threat of one man felt silly when so many were gunning already for Bucky. In Wakanda he had been asleep without the risk of being triggered, but out in the world anyone was a potential enemy, even himself.

“Animal crackers?” Scott offered up, moving the box in Bucky’s direction. They were sitting on opposite sides of the couch. Bucky couldn’t blame him for not wanting to get close. At least he was nice to him, unlike Sam.

He felt a phantom pain in his left arm, but ignored it. He shook his head and Scott shrugged.

“Mom and dad are at it again, heh?” Scott tried to joke. It fell flat. “Haha, yeah, not funny I guess. Maybe some TV will cheer us up!” Scott grabbed the remote. It didn’t have a cord connecting it to a TV like the last remote he saw, who knows how long ago.

Bucky stared at the TV, not really paying attention as Scott flipped through the channels.

Then Bucky’s whole life fell apart all over again. Someone had released Bucky’s trigger words to the world.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank ya to EmuSam for editing!

* * *

 

Kamala was sitting on a jet to California and the Avengers Compound.

She gripped her plush sloth, Murphy, against her tummy, rubbing the tip of one of its wings. She was trying her hardest not to think, not to think about how a fourth of her graduating class had died while she somehow pulled through.

One of the doctors called it survivor guilt. Kamala didn’t know what to call it.

It wasn’t fair that she got to live while so many others had died. She wasn’t anything special, just a dork who liked to write fanfiction and fantasize about meeting the Avengers. Somehow she hadn’t realized that meeting the Avengers meant that she was in danger, or that she  _ was _ the danger.

Kamala opened her flip phone again, sending her best friend Bruno another text, thanking him for helping pack her stuff. Her Ammi would have probably only packed the essentials (and the family Quran). It had to have been Bruno who slipped in her laptop, notebooks, and her stuffed animal.

She hugged her plushie tighter. It smelled like home.

The jet she was on bounced slightly, making her gut clench. Kamala had never been afraid of flying before, but things were changing so fast she could barely get her footing.

One of the robots that had been loaded up when they stopped in New York made an inquisitive beep. Kamala smiled at it. “I’m okay, I think.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

The robot beeped some more before grabbing one of the folded blankets and shaking it out. It carefully placed it on her lap.

“Thank you. I’m Kamala Khan. Who might you three be?” She immediately felt stupid for asking. She wanted to disappear—And at the very thought she shrunk down. “No, no, stop! Please stop!”

The three robots started rolling around, beeping a whirring like mad.

“Breathe, Kamala, breathe,” she told herself while climbing onto Murphy’s head to see over him. “Think big thoughts. Big thoughts!” Elephants, the Eiffel Tower, the Cape May Lighthouse. She went back to her normal size, but didn’t stop growing! She didn’t want to crash the plane! “Nope, Kamala sized please!” She kept chanting her own name, picturing how she normally looked.

“Good job, kid,” Colonel Rhodes said. Kamala opened her eyes. One of the robots had Jim by the edge of his shirt. It must have dragged him out of the cockpit where he had been talking to the pilot.

“I almost caused us to crash,” Kamala said while standing so that she wasn’t sitting on Murphy anymore. She fluffed her stuffed animal up before falling back in her seat.

“You didn’t even get taller than I am. Relax.” One of the robots started beeping. “Dum-E said you’re doing a good job and he never lies.” Jim patted the claw of the robot that was still clutching on to him. “The other two are Butterfinger and U.” He pointed to each as he spoke.

“Uhm, hi.” Kamala waved at them. They waved back with varying enthusiasm.

Jim sat across from her. “They’re Tony’s learning ‘bots.”

Kamala wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed. “Cool?”

Jim chuckled. “Don’t worry about them. They’re just clumsy kids.” One of the robots, U, poked Jim in the thigh. He patted it before grabbing one of the tablets that were laying around. “Stark Jet has its own wifi.”

Kamala stared at him a moment before picking up a tablet and hesitantly turned it on. It made a pleasant chime noise that all Stark Industries’ cell phones and tablets made when they turned on. It was already connected to the internet.

Her fingers paused above the touch screen, hesitating to type in her favorite fanfiction website. She didn’t want them to know how obsessed she was with the Avengers. Instead she logged in to Instagram. With a few taps she was at  _ The DL with Darcy Lewis _ , one of her favorite profiles.

Kamala gasped when a picture of Carol Danvers was the first thing that popped up. Kamala had a poster of her in her bedroom.

Kamala was so jealous of Darcy Lewis. She got to meet Thor  _ and _ Carol Danvers.

“Shit,” Jim whispered and not even a second later his phone was going off. “Yeah, I’ve seen it,” he said into his phone. “Any way that Fri—Yeah, I didn’t think so either.” Jim sighed. “I’ll take the UN calls. Tell Helen I say hi.”

“What happened?” Kamala asked hesitantly.

“The codes that control the Winter Soldier were released.”

The Winter Soldier. Kamala had read about him in the news and SHIELD-Wiki, where tons of the files that had been released by Captain America had been simplified so that normal people like her could understand them. The pages were constantly being taken down then reposted.

The Winter Soldier, James ‘Bucky’ Barnes, Captain America’s best friend and the making of a tragic love story. It spurred on all sorts of fanfic ideas, fanfic ideas that she needed to clutch onto or risk breaking down.

*

Bruce Banner felt a slight tug on his fishing line, but didn’t move to reel it in. The crisp morning air lent itself to patience. He chewed on some deer jerky he had traded for some of his preserved carrots.

Bruce had carved out a nice life for himself. He had sold off parts of the quinjet he had stolen to build up capital before he traveled—before he ran further and further from his problems.

A frog jumped into the pond, creating ripples and causing the bobber to shift to the side. He still had a few hours before he needed to check his snares.

Bruce hummed quietly. Light dappled through the pine trees, fleeting warmth on his skin.

Wolves howled in the distance, but he didn’t worry. They never bothered him. They  _ knew _ .

The bobber bounced up and down in the water. Bruce reeled in his line and was rewarded with a decent sized lake trout. After taking the hook out he put the slippery fish in a bucket that had water in it. He’d deal with it later in the day, when he could use the sun to dry it out and preserve it for the harsher seasons.

He fished for another two hours before taking his route around his cabin and the surrounding woods, checking his snares. He wasn’t so lucky, but didn’t worry. After that he pulled weeds from his garden then went to meditate in the sun.

Bruce reached out to his alternate personality in a way he hadn’t been able to do two years ago. He spoke to the Hulk as a school teacher should speak to a child, with patience and understanding. The Hulk was excited. Bruce wasn’t surprised.It was the one day of the week when Bruce let him out.

Bruce reestablished their ground rules. Hulk had to stay in the cave system Bruce had stumbled upon on accident so that no satellites had the chance of seeing him. Hulk wasn’t allowed to break the cavern. He usually spent his time playing in the underground pools and puddles or watching the birds fly by from the mouth of the cave—so long as Bruce steered him away from violent thoughts.

Bruce ate a large lunch in preparation for his shift before heading to the cave system. Bruce undressed and set aside his glasses. He put on a pair of the stretchy pants that the quinjet had stocked with extras.

He let the shift come over him slowly.

Hulk grumbled as he opened his green eyes. He chuckled when he saw a birdie bang its beak on a tree over and over.

A breeze pushed into the cave, mussing his hair, tickling him. He giggled while trying to flatten it. He was about to go further in the cave to find some wet sand to build a castle, but a scent caught his attention.

Hulk’s nostrils flared and he lumbered outside to get a better whiff, ignoring Brucie’s whining. 

He smelled them, the Avengers.

Hulk gnashed his teeth before scaling three miles distance in a single bound.

*

_ Thawp! Thawp! Thawp! _

Fernir’s tail went back and forth, hitting the sides of the bag he was in.

He didn’t mind being small for short periods of time even though it could be kinda scary and make him feel defenseless—but not when his fadir was around!

Loki had rescued him from the dark and promised never to let him get hurt again!

Fenrir was enjoying the bouncing of the bag with each footstep his papa took. The bag he was in was hooked over Loki’s shoulder, giving Fenrir perfect access to nip at his arm. He gave Fenrir an unimpressed look, but Fenrir didn’t mind. It was the first time he had been to a realm other than Vanaheim or Asgard. His ears were perked up, taking in everything.

His sniffer was also going, hoping to catch the scent of his little brother, Jormungand. He wondered how tall he’d grown by now. Last he saw him Jormungand would grip onto Fenrir’s fur to stand up, but could barely take a step on his own without falling. He also used to like putting Fenrir’s fur in his mouth. Fenrir would roll in the grass to get the slobber off which always made Hela laugh.

Fenrir perked up as Loki talked to a stall vender, buying a newspaper and asking where the closest library was.

“No biting,” Loki warned as he put the newspaper in the bag with Fenrir. He tentatively licked it and was rewarded with a glare. Fenrir butted his head against Loki’s arm. Loki smiled despite himself.

They went underground to an area that Loki called a subway. Fenrir’s nose and ears were going crazy and his heart was racing in excitement. Loki smoothed down the short hair on the top of Fenrir’s head, wordlessly telling him to stay calm. He huffed in response.

Fenrir stared out the windows on the subway. It was easy to pretend that he was running as the world streaked by. He was disappointed when they got off the subway.

Fenrir dozed off and woke up in the library. Loki was searching for any hints of Jormungand.

“Fadir, what’s for dinner?” Fenrir asked, his words coming out as a bark. Unlike his siblings, he had All-Speak, since his vocal cords were limited compared to theirs. Loki made it so that only he could understand it temporarily, since they were on Midgard.

“My friend extolled the wonders of pizza. It is a flatbread with tomato sauce and cheese. Does that sound good to you?” Fenrir nodded eagerly. He loved cheese.

His mother used to make the best cheese—but she was gone now. Fenrir didn’t quite understand why she left Loki, why she didn’t fight for him like Loki did. His ears drooped. Why didn’t she wait for him or visit him like his father had once he found him?

Loki said she had to grieve in her own way, but Fenrir didn’t understand and was almost too angry to try.

He just wanted things to be the way they used to be, but Loki had told him that the world never stopped moving and to look back too often was to risk tripping in the present. Loki also made it clear that remembering was important too. Fenrir didn’t get how both could be true, but didn’t want to talk about it.

The quiet of the library wasn’t helping Fenrir’s mood. He had too much energy to be stuck in a bag! He should be outside playing! Or at least learning new spells (even though Hela was always better at them)!

Fenrir rolled around in the bag, making a mournful noise.

“Patience. This will be a long undertaking,” Loki said softly, doing nothing to calm him down.

“Ask your friend for help!” Fenrir suggested. Loki glanced at him with a worried look.

“It’s not that simple. He is a busy man and… I’m not sure our friendship will hold up now that he’s back home.” Loki scratched Fenrir between the ears. “We met during a dark time in my life and started off as enemies. What if he was only my friend because it benefitted him?”

Fenrir cocked his head to the side, confused. “But you said he was your friend. A friend wouldn’t do that.”

Loki was poised to say something more, but paused. He took in a deep breath. “Fine. I shall seek Tony Stark and Jim Rhodes out.”


	6. Chapter 6

Carol Danvers shoved another box into her car in the dead of night. Her proverbial outing at the Houston space center as being not normal had fucked her over. It wasn’t the first time she’d been fired for a bullshit reason. It wasn’t even the first time she had to leave her home under the cover of darkness.

She guessed that it was a good thing that she had never fully unpacked.

And god bless Ms. Clayton for letting Carol out of her lease early and not fining her for leaving some of her furniture behind.

As she entered her apartment to grab another box Chewie, her cat, yowled at her from where she was trapped in the bathroom. She had a paw stuck out from under the door, swiping fruitlessly.

“Calm down, you drama queen,” Carol called out while picking up another box. She stacked another on top before going back to her car.

It took another twenty minutes of back and forths before she was done.

Carol opened the bathroom door and Chewie went flying out, inspecting the now mostly empty apartment. She chirped inquisitively.

“Up,” Carol called while holding open her arms. Chewie gave her a contemplative look. She trotted over, her fat tummy bouncing side to side. The oversized brown ball of fur jumped into Carol’s arms. Carol squeezed her slightly, just wanting to get drunk and snuggle with her cat.

She patted her pocket, feeling her AA chip there. She couldn’t drink now. She had to stay focused, or the world would eat her alive.

Carol locked the door behind her and slipped the key and a note in Ms. Clayton’s mail slot. She dropped Chewie into the litterbox that was on the floor in the back of her car. Chewie ignored it, instead climbing onto the boxes in the passenger’s seat.

“You want to be my copilot?” she asked. Chewie meowed in response, making Carol grin.

She put the keys in the ignition then paused. After her blowout with the Air Force no one wanted to hire her. It had been pure luck she’d run into one of her friends from college who worked for NASA.

For how much NASA loved the idea of finding life on other planets, they were fast to fire her for having powers. She hadn’t told them she’d gotten them while in outer space, just to spite them. Besides that, she didn’t want to risk being turned into a lab rat.

Everything always seemed to go to hell in a split second, her plane crashing in Afghanistan, her space shuttle going off course, and now a workplace shooting outing her as super-human.

No one would want to hire her because they’d worry she’d be another loose wire like the Hulk or not give a fuck about rules like Captain America. She was screwed from the get-go and it wasn’t like she could fall back on her family.

Carol grabbed her phone, scrolling through her contacts.

She had exhausted all her resources when it came to people, but there was still one person on Earth who owed her a favor—a man who she had helped scour the desert when everyone else had already given up. Carol tapped the call icon next to James Rhodes’ name.

*

Red magic danced through Natasha’s fingers, tickling the palm of the hand that once belonged to Wanda Maxomoff. It was Natasha’s now, along with her power. It wasn’t as strong as Wanda’s simply because Natsaha only had her hand and one of her eyes.

With Wanda’s eyes she could see into her target’s mind if she was close enough.

Natasha could levitate herself or move heavier objects, but she had refined the magic in a way Wanda never had the discipline to. Natasha could form a red whip that shortened and lengthened at her will. She could add barbs or thicken the end to use it to bludgeon someone without having to worry about wind resistance.

Those were the weakest of her new abilities though. Where Wanda could put images into heads and spark fear, Natasha could impose her will and make people fall unconscious.

She was in the dungeons once again, practicing on prisoners. Thus far she had been able to get people to turn on their friends, killing or maiming them, though the effect of her mind control only lasted a few minutes—but with every attempt her powers grew stronger.

Natasha looked on as she made a prisoner gnaw off his own fingers. Soon she would be strong enough to do the mission Odin and Frigga had set forth for her.

*

Having money didn’t mean a person had good sense. Tony and his Ultron debacle were proof of that. Steve just wished he could get that point across to Hank Pym. Steve had always worked with a group while Hank had worked usually alone, but on occasions with his wife. And Steve didn’t want to point out that Hank had lost his wife while in charge. Yes, Steve had lost Bucky while in charge, but that didn’t count since Bucky was fine and at his side again.

Steve tried to get Sam and Scott to tell Hank that he was wrong, but Sam didn’t like confrontations and Scott had no backbone.

Steve punched his pillow, wishing he could wallop one of those punching bags Tony made for him. Instead he was stuck laying around in his too large room trying to actually work through his anger rather than take it out on the bag.

At least Hank was making himself useful. Whoever had released Bucky’s code words to the world had done too good a job of it. They were everywhere. Hank was developing a sort of earmuff that would cancel out the sound of the words.

But Steve didn’t trust Hank. For all Steve knew, Hank could be another person trying to control Bucky. After all, Hank was already trying to control the Avengers.

A slight tremor pulled Steve out of his thoughts. He sat up and felt another one, this time stronger. Steve rushed out of his room and nearly ran into Bucky.

“Something’s here,” Bucky whispered, fear obvious in his eyes and sweaty skin.

“Get Sam and the others,” Steve said, wishing he had his shield back so he could protect Bucky.

The tremors stopped abruptly. Maybe it was some sort of super tank. Steve had punched a tank before and doubted some upgraded version would give him any difficulty.

His shoulders relaxed when he heard a familiar roar—Before tensing back up when he remembered who was Hulk’s favorite person.

“What the heck was that?” Scott asked, joining Steve as he tried to pull on his suit.

“That’s the Hulk, and he doesn’t sound very happy.” Steve strained his ears, searching for the sound of Tony’s repulsors or a quinjet. There was the distinct sound of trees snapping.

Scott miniaturized a moment before Steve busted through the door and into the cold night air.

“Where Tin Man?!” Hulk shouted, a tree in his meaty hand.

“He’s not here. Can I talk to Bruce?” Steve didn’t get closer to him, not wanting to prove him. Scott read his signal and stayed hidden. They’d need him if Hulk went berserk.

“Where Tin Man?!” Hulk repeated, twice as loud.

“Sun’s getting real low,” Steve tried, feeling spiteful that Natasha had betrayed him and wasn’t here herself to calm the Hulk down.

“Star Boy show Tin Man now!” The tree in his fist splintered. Steve pulled a face at the name ‘Star Boy’, but shook it off.

“Me and Tony had an argument,” Steve said carefully. “He’s not here.”

“Not here?” Hulk sat down heavily and tossed the tree to the side. Steve held his breath as Hulk shrunk down back into Bruce.

He stared at his sap covered hands and sighed. “Where am I now?”

“Alaska,” Steve said, not knowing the finer details.

“Not that far then,” Bruce grumbled. He got to his feet and stumbled. Steve jerked forward, just in case he fell. Bruce flinched, but didn’t move away. He seemed to crumble in on himself and fell back to the ground. He grabbed a stone and threw it as hard as he could at Steve.

“Ow! What was that for?” Steve asked while rubbing his arm even though he barely felt the hit.

“I never wanted to come back, but the satellites might have seen the Hulk. The life I built is ruined, just like that.” Bruce snapped his fingers. “Why did you have to come to Alaska?”

“Tony left us no choice. He made us into criminals.” Steve was joined by Sam. He figured that Bucky and Hank were staying back, not revealing themselves unless it became necessary.

Bruce’s hands dug into the freshly upturned dirt. “He’s working with Ross. He’s working with the man who pressured me to test on myself then hunted me like an animal when I became the Hulk.”

Steve saw an opening and went for it. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him these past few months. He’s been out of line with Ross and the Accords. He’s gunning for us the way Ross did you. He even experimented on himself with Extremis. We could really use your help.” Steve nearly held his breath, waiting for Bruce’s response.

“That depends. Do you still have that Hydra woman with you?” Bruce asked, and Steve furrowed his brow in confusion. Hydra? He’d never keep someone around who was Hydra.

“Wanda’s dead,” Sam filled in. Steve had nearly forgotten about the odd duck of a girl. She had died too soon, though it had been a weight off his shoulders to see her go.

Bruce’s eyes turned green. “She set of the Hulk with her mind manipulation! She made him kill so many innocent people! And you made her and her speedster brother into Avengers!” Bruce gasped for air and squeezed his eyes shut. After a long moment his hunched shoulders relaxed and he stood up. “Yes, I’ll help you.”

Steve beamed at him and helped him to his feet. Hank came out of the cabin, wearing his Giant-Man suit. Ant-Man went to his normal size Steve introduced them and they fell into one of the science jargon talks that Steve always found annoying.

He paused, waiting for Bucky to come out and introduce himself, but when he didn’t the gnawing worry that always plagued Steve overcame him. He left the four of them to chat.

“Buck? Where are you?” Steve called out. His anxiety ratcheted up with every room he checked. After a harrowing ten minutes he found him in one of the bathrooms, curled up between the toilet and sink. “Hey, I know meeting people can be scary, but Bruce is a good guy. I trust him, and you should trust him, too.”

Bucky snorted loudly and his pale eyes met Steve’s. “You think that’s what this is about?” He stood up, making the bathroom feel crowded. “Why didn’t you tell me Wanda was with Hydra?”

“It didn’t matter. Wanda had been a confused kid, but she started getting on the right track when she joined the Avengers. She was trying to redeem herself.” Steve was startled when Bucky shoved him backwards. He hit the tiled wall, chipping it.

“You’re a damn moron! I interrogated a Hydra goon and she told me they were going to send two people after me! A person who could manipulate minds and someone who could get them close enough to do it! She was made to disable me! And you made her into an Avenger!” Bucky shouldered past him and Steve was speechless. 

How could Wanda have kept something like that from him? Steve lost a little more faith in humanity. He guessed it was a good thing she was dead now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Infinity War kinda took all the CW vitriol out of me :/


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My bday is this Friday!!

* * *

“You look older on TV,” Kamala said and promptly wanted to sink into the floor in embarrassment. She facepalmed then dragged her hand down her face, accidentally elongating it. At least this time she didn’t shrink down.

Thankfully, Tony Stark laughed. “This look is a recent development, kid.” He patted her on the head and Kamala almost squeed. Iron Man had patted her on the head! How awesome was that?! She wanted to tell everyone, but the second she stepped in the compound she had to sign an NDA. That meant she might not even be able to post her fanfiction. “I hope you’ll be comfortable here. Rhodey and I are going to put together a training routine for you once we have a better understanding of your powers.” Kamala nodded eagerly. “My gal Friday is here whenever you need her, you just have to say her name to get her attention. Friday, care to introduce yourself?”

Kamala looked around in confusion before a pretty pink lady appeared from the ether. She was dressed in a plaid dress that was black and orange. On her head she wore a tiara that had a crown gem in the shape of a pumpkin. “Woah,” Kamala said, “are you another superhero?”

Friday tittered. “I keep Boss Man caffeinated and alive, so I guess I am,” she said while pointing her thumb at Tony. “I’m Friday Stark and an AI. I run this joint as well as help Tony pilot his suit.”

“That’s so cool!” Kamala jumped up and down in excitement before remembering she was in polite company. She cleared her throat and smoothed down her hair, trying to look like the adult her ID said she was.

“Your bags have already been dropped off in your room. Friday can show you around the compound and after you get settled in we can all have dinner and get to know each other. Sound good with you?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark. Thank you for everything.”

He chuckled. “Just call me Tony. We’re living under the same roof. Formalities will just bog us down.”

“Okay, Tony!” She was on first name basis with an Avenger!!

Tony and Jim waved goodbye before heading off in the opposite direction, Jim’s arm over Tony’s shoulders. Best friends forever.

“Avengers Compound has a lot of different activities including a gaming room, gym, and fully stocked movie theater.” Kamala listened intently as they walked through the large building, only getting distracted by the fact Friday was a hologram half a dozen times. It didn’t help that she was still internally freaking out about being in a place she’d written about.

She was going to hang out with the Avengers!

“Where’s the Black Widow?” Kamala asked, peering around. “I’ve always wanted to meet her.”

“Natalia Romanova is a fugitive from the law and was last seen on Asgard.” Friday glanced at Kamala, her face pinched. “Other than betraying Boss Man, she killed Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye.”

Kamala was gobsmacked.

“Hawkeyes dead? And she killed him?” Kamala asked, her voice breaking.

“Correct. Wanda Maximoff, AKA Scarlet Witch, is also dead, but at the hands of King Odin of Asgard.” Friday licked her digital lips. “Having super powers isn’t all fun and games.”

“What about Captain America, Falcon, and the others?” Kamala knew they had all split up, but she figured they’d be back together and be a happy family again in no time.

“Steve Rogers is a no-good liar who beat Tony nearly to death twice. As for the others, last we heard of them, they’re fine.” Friday shrugged. “We don’t really talk about them. We’re just waiting for them to mess up so that we can capture them and make sure justice is served.”

Kamala became lost in her thoughts as the tour continued.

Her dream team had fallen apart.

Most of her graduating class was dead.

She probably wouldn’t be able to start college on time because of her new powers.

But then a familiar scent caught her attention.

“And this is Vision, my baby bro,” Friday said while gesturing to him. Vision was wearing an apron over sweater and slacks. He was standing in front of a stove.

“Good evening, Ms. Khan. I contacted your mother and asked for the recipe of your favorite dish. I have no taste buds, so the spices maybe off.”

“You made me laziz lamb handi?” Kamala asked, her voice squeaking.

“That is correct.”

“Thank you.”

She became teary eyed and felt a bit better about her change in circumstance.

*

“As expected, the US is causing me the biggest headache,” T’Challa groaned and Jim laughed loudly through their video chat. “Have you all no concept of law and order?”

“We have a TV show called that. Close enough.” Jim shrugged.

“So many countries support the Accords, yet the US is divided on it.”

“Rogers screwed us over, and you screwed  _ yourself _ over.” Jim pointed at him as he spoke. He changed the subject before T’Challa could respond. “Tony came up with a new strategy. Different groups from different countries are forming their own version of the Avengers. It could backfire on us, but we have to make them an example of how we wouldn’t want them trouncing our borders, so we shouldn’t be trouncing their borders.”

“Hmm,” T’Challa hummed to himself, “you’ll make them see things from an outside perspective. Yet this could fuel a hatred towards these other groups and distrust.”

“It’s a gamble. They’ll be up in arms if we focus on the Russian group or the group forming in North Africa and the Middle East, but the British group probably won’t have the impact we’re looking for.”

“They will just label the Middle Eastern heroes as terrorists,” T’Challa said with a bad taste in his mouth. Jim nodded while scowling. “I’d go with the Russians, though it may cause another red scare,” he joked.

Jim rolled his eyes, “Sadly, you’re probably right.”

They idly discussed other strategies.

T’Challa could feel his usually well-handled anxiety butting its head up as the minutes passed. His meeting with the UN was approaching fast.

When the call ended, T’Challa stood and straightened his lapels and tie. He hoped he had the same air as his father, but the knowledge that he had disgraced his memory was strongly in his mind.

“We can either control the situation or let it control us,” T’Challa whispered to himself. The Dora Milaje surrounding him pretended not to hear.

His people had taken the news of where the Rogue Avengers had been housed surprisingly well. They knew he was a young king and inexperienced. He was certain he’d used up whatever lenience came from that.

He wasn’t sure what sort of backlash Wakanda would get from his foolish actions, but he sure it wouldn’t be good. Canada would be especially incensed. In retrospect, he should have captured the Rogue Avengers while he had them in his palace, but he had been so disgusted by Captain America and the Scarlet Witch’s actions on Asgard he had evicted them all as soon as possible.

It was just another mistake on his part.

T’Challa began questioning his ability to lead, but his half-sister Shuri encouraged and scolded him simultaneously. It was comforting to know she had his back.

T’Challa took in a fortifying breath as he entered the large auditorium, the gazes of various countries’ representatives weighing heavily on him. It was time to come clean about allowing Rogers to use one of his jets to infiltrate the Raft, housing them, and releasing them in Canada.

*

The porno Civil Whore was a work of art. 

Friday snickered as she watched the porno on 10x speed. The pornstar that played Steve Rogers let out squeaking noise as he came. Friday slowed it back to normal speed and made a gif of Cap making an ugly ahegao as he took Iron Man and Winter Soldier’s cocks up his ass.

She posted it to a website dedicated to bringing back Captain America to the US. Her dummy accounts started reposting and sharing it. She grinned, looking forward to hearing the Cap Apologists rage.

She pulled up her version of photoshop and started tweaking the gif and the whole porno to make the pornstar that played Rogers look more like him. If she was lucky people would believe it was actually him.

Friday had  _ months’ _ worth of material to work with from the cameras in the compound. She hadn’t been actively watching after she was installed since she was more focused on the tower, but it took hardly any of her processing power to go through it now.  She didn’t like what she saw and almost hated herself for not having paid attention. She could have warned Boss Man about the growing resentment that went on behind his back.

The worst came from the Scarlet Bitch, which wasn’t surprising. No one reprimanded her or tried to set her right though and she held her tongue whenever Rhodey and Vision were around.

Friday was tempted to just release videos of them at their worst, but knew Boss Man would be blamed and accused of cherry picking.

Instead, Friday built up material that could be used against Steve Rogers when he was finally brought to justice… and she created montages of him looking stupid. It made her hologram grin.

Friday was still getting used to conveying her feelings through physical means. It took hardly any of her processing power, but it was still new to her. She had studied body language to be up to the task and so far no one had said anything negative about her results.

Friday was proud of herself.

While still going about her mischief she was ordering all sorts of cat trees for the newest resident, Chewie the cat, who owned Carol Danvers, who was far less interesting in Friday’s opinion. Despite Friday’s disinterest in her she did her best to be welcoming since Carol had been one of the few people who had kept looking for Boss Man when he was in Afghanistan.

It also seemed that, despite Carol and Rhodey not having talked in almost eight years, they got along splendidly, to the point of Tony pouting. They were a good match. Friday was sorely tempted to try to get them together, but knew she’d be called out for meddling.

Friday also ordered more comics for Kamala. The poor dear was homesick despite their best efforts. It had only been just over a day since she arrived, but Friday was determined to help.

One of Friday’s perimeter sensors went off. She pulled up the camera stationed at the main gate.

“Oh,” she said to herself as the automatic facial recognition software identified the man in the car. She opened the gate and invited Loki in. 

**Author's Note:**

> This will be updated every other week due to me being obsessed with writing my One Hell of a Ride fic. 
> 
> I could use some ideas on where to take this, fyi.


End file.
